. Imperial courts of France, England, Russia, Prussia, Sardinia, and Austria. Richly illustrated with portraits of imperial sovereigns and their cabinet ministers' with biographical sketches . as upwards of six feet in height,muscular and well-projaortioned, with handsome features. Inhis personal habits he was simjjle, abstemious, and indo-fatigably industrious. He had a taste for the fine arts, andfor music, and is stated to have composed some militaryairs; but his favorite pursuits were connected with themilitary sciences and military operations. In his politicalprinciples he was professedly
. Imperial courts of France, England, Russia, Prussia, Sardinia, and Austria. Richly illustrated with portraits of imperial sovereigns and their cabinet ministers' with biographical sketches . as upwards of six feet in height,muscular and well-projaortioned, with handsome features. Inhis personal habits he was simjjle, abstemious, and indo-fatigably industrious. He had a taste for the fine arts, andfor music, and is stated to have composed some militaryairs; but his favorite pursuits were connected with themilitary sciences and military operations. In his politicalprinciples he was professedly despotic. He had been heardto say, Despotism is the very essence of my government,and it suits the genius of my land. The great objects ofhis public life were the increase of the power of Eussiaand the extensiini of her territories to the east, west, and 276 THE COURT OF RUSSIA. south, by unsciupulous diplomacy, and when that failed, bywar. His grand purpose is now known to have been thepossession of Constantinople. By means of that unrivalledmilitary and pohtical position, he trusted to have super-seded the Sultan in his empire, and to have become thedominant power in Emope and ALEXANDER U., EMPEROR OF RUSSIA. Alexander II., the present Emj^eror of all the Russias,was the eldest son of the late Emperor Nicholas and theEmpress Alexandra Feodorowna. This name his motherassumed on her marriage, as it is the custom with females,on manyiug into the Imperial family, to change theirnames with their religion, on being admitted mto theGreek Church; before marriage she was the Princess Fre-derica Louisa Charlotte Wilhelmina, sister of Frederic Wil-liam, King of Prussia. Alexander was born on the twenty-ninth of April, 1818. He was educated with great care,and entered very early into the military service, in wliich,of course, during his fathers lifetime he was invested witha numeious variety of honorary commands, but is said notto have evinced any remarkable military aptitude, th
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